VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Feb. 9 - Some 2.5 million senior citizens in East Java Province will receive their second COVID-19 vaccine shots along with public service officers and civil servants.

"The BPOM (the Drug and Food Control Agency) has authorized the emergency use of the CoronaVac vaccine for senior citizens or those aged above 60 years. This is especially in East Java, where the number of senior citizens reaches 2,551,472," member of the curative task force of the East Java COVID-19 handling and control team Dr Makhyan Jibril Al Farabi stated here on Monday.

The doctor explained that the senior citizens will be administered their second COVID-19 vaccine jabs along with public service officers, civil servants, and military and police personnel.

"The exact time is late February or after the current vaccination of medical workers is over," he remarked.

Farabi noted that the task force awaits directives from the East Java governor and the central government on the implementation of the second phase of COVID-19 vaccination.

The BPOM has issued an emergency use authorization for the administration of two shots of CoronaVac vaccine to each citizen aged 60 years and above in an interval of 28 days.

However, the BPOM highlighted the importance of ensuring that the vaccination of senior citizens be conducted carefully since they are at high risk.

Senior citizens tend to develop comorbidities that warrants a pre check-up before the doctor approves the vaccination. (Antaranews)